


you and me against the world

by katie_049



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Tumblr Prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_049/pseuds/katie_049
Summary: Collection of tumblr prompts that are centered around our favorite couple.NEW “Do you trust me?” Season 9 Ending predict/How they could resolve it.
Relationships: Sylvie Brett/Matthew Casey
Comments: 180
Kudos: 268





	1. “Hey, look at me. Focus on me alright?”

**Author's Note:**

> Turns out I love prompts. I'm gonna write a few and if you wanna see any specific ones go to my tumblr, there is a list. It might take me a while to write all the requests, but I had a lot of fun with this one today, and it cleared my head so I'm gonna keep going! 
> 
> Prompt #1 (General no. 23: “Hey, look at me. Focus on me alright?”)

For a firefighter, speed and agility were two of the most important skills to have. Fires weren’t waiting until you were ready to put them out. They spread without asking and without caring who or what was in their way.

Years on the job had taught Matt Casey to quickly make an exit when the situation got too hairy, and he had developed some mad running skills. They were put to a test almost weekly, but usually, those tests happened at calls.

Today though, it happened at the station in the middle of the day.

Matt was sitting in his quarters, writing the report about their call earlier, when Gallo appeared in his door with wide, panicked eyes.

“Captain, it’s Brett,” he blurted out, his arm pointing into the direction of the locker room in a jerky motion.

The second Sylvie’s name had left the younger man’s lips, Matt jumped up from his chair. Throwing his pen hastily onto the desk, he darted out of his quarters, almost knocking Gallo over on his way out. As fast as his feet would carry him, he passed through the hallway, rounding the corner towards Sylvie’s locker.

Quite a few people had gathered in the small space between the rows of lockers, probably because most of them were freshening up, and all of them were blocking his way towards Sylvie who presumably stood in the middle.

“Move!” Matt commanded in a voice that left no room for arguments, and Ritter and Mackey instantly pressed their backs to the lockers so he could pass.

His eyes landed on Sylvie who was leaning against her locker, breathing erratically with tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders were hunched, and she was holding her phone in her right hand which was shaking uncontrollably.

In three long strides, he eliminated the rest of the distance between them, stopping right in front of her. His hands landed on her arms, but he quickly realized that Sylvie was in no condition to talk. She was in the middle of her breakdown.

Turning his head towards Kidd, who stood next to Sylvie and rubbed her friend’s shoulder, he asked demandingly, “What happened?”

“I don’t know!” Stella snapped, lowering her voice in the next second. “When I walked in here, she was already crying hysterically, just holding her phone in her hand. She hasn’t said a word to me.”

Hectically swiping his gaze around the rest of the room, Matt looked for answers from his other colleagues that stood around them, but all of them just shook their heads. It frustrated him, and he wanted to yell at them for not paying better attention, but he couldn’t. Right now, Sylvie needed him, and he had to get his answers differently.

Stroking his hands up and down her upper arms, he bent his knees to try and catch her gaze, but she stared blankly at his chest. He moved one of his hands to cup her cheek, wiping some of her tears away, but they just kept coming.

“Hey, Sylvie. Tell me what happened,” he whispered in a soft voice, but his words didn’t get a reaction out of her. His head was spinning with worry, and he had to take a couple of steadying breaths himself.

He needed to calm her down first if he wanted to get to the bottom of this. She was in no condition to talk, so it needed to be his priority.

His eyes scanned over her shaking body, taking in the phone that was still clutched in her hands. He grabbed it softly, tugging on it, but her grip tightened. She must have gotten a call from someone, and judging by her fierce grip on it, that someone might call back again.

“Let me hold it for you, Sylvie. I’m gonna keep it close. I promise,” he assured her before tugging at it again with a bit more force. It slipped out of her hands this time, and he quickly stored it in his pants. He then clasped his hand around her shaking ones, bringing them to his chest, before he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into his embrace.

He had given her enough distance these past few weeks. He had watched as the engine lieutenant had flirted with her right in front of him, and he had endured the few weeks where Sylvie had gone out with him, but he had reached his limit.

As far as he knew, things with Grainger had sizzled out, and even if they hadn’t, it wouldn’t stop him from acting now. Sylvie was hurting, and not even an army of soldiers could hold him back from her.

Guiding her head to his chest, Matt tangled his fingers in her hair and scrapped them over her scalp. He hoped it would soothe her, and he took it as a small win when she didn’t pull back or tense in his embrace.

Matt focused on taking slow, deep breaths in hope of inspiring the blonde in his arms to do the same, but at first, she just stood completely still against him, her arms pressed between them.

“Tell Boden to take 61 out of service,” Matt directed at Stella. “And get everyone out of here.”

The dark-haired woman nodded, throwing one last worried look towards her best friend before she turned around to usher everyone out of the locker room.

When their surroundings fell quiet again, Matt rubbed his hand over Sylvie’s back, rocking them ever so slightly from side to side. “Talk to me, Sylvie. I can’t help you if I don’t know what happened,” he tried to get through to her for a second time.

Her breathing had calmed down a bit, but he could still feel her staining his white captain shirt with tears. The wetness had soaked through his long-sleeved shirt, and he could feel the moisture stinging his skin.

“Whatever it is, I’m here. You’re not alone,” he reminded her as he hugged her closer to him. “I got you, Sylvie. I won’t leave, I promise.” He was pleading with her, sounding almost desperate, but he couldn’t care less.

When Sylvie flattened her hands against his chest, he almost sighed in relief. Framing her face with his hands, he guided her head back until he could look at her again. The paramedic was still staring onto his chest, but her tears were coming much slower.

Matt took a minute to clear her face from the excessive moisture before he lifted her chin, making their eyes meet for the first time since he found her.

“Tell me what happened,” he urged her as he trailed his thumb over her cheekbone.

Her eyes instantly watered again, but she pulled in a short, quivering breath and started, “I got a call from the hospital in Fowlerton. My parents… they were in an accident.” A sob wracked through her body, and the water spilled out of her eyes.

God no. That can’t be happening. She didn’t deserve this.

Swallowing hard, he kept his gaze free of emotions. He had to be the strong one now. “What did they say?” He was almost afraid for her answer, and when she sniffled uncontrollably, he feared the worst.

“My dad’s gonna be fine, but my mom…,” Sylvie stopped, fisting his shirt in her hands as ugly tears rolled down her cheeks. “It’s bad, Matt.”

Without hesitation, he pulled her back into his chest, and this time she slumped into him weakly. Her body was once again shaking with sobs, and Matt felt absolutely helpless. Not even a year ago, she had cried in his arms after Julie died, and now she was fearing for her mother’s life. There wasn’t a thing he could say to make her feel any better, and it made him feel like shit.

He didn’t know how long he held her in his arms, but her sobs weren’t getting any better, and her breathing got more ragged with each passing second.

Framing her face again, he pulled her head back, cowering down until he could rest his forehead against hers. “Hey, look at me. Focus on me, alright?”

One of his hands grabbed onto hers, and he moved them over his heart, pressing her palm flat against his chest. “You need to breathe, Sylvie. We’ll get through this together, but you need to calm down. Breathe with me. You got this.”

At first, she took a few deep but short breaths, but after a few more minutes her breathing returned to normal. The occasional sniffle still left her throat, but she had calmed down.

“I can’t think straight, but I need to get to Fowlerton,” she pressed out in a soggy voice, searching for his eyes.

“I know, and I’m gonna get you there,” he vowed, running his thumb along the back of her hand.

For a second, her eyes widened in surprise, but it was soon replaced with relief and gratitude. He didn’t expect her to fight him on his decision, and when she nodded weakly against his forehead, he dared to press a kiss to it. “We’ll talk to Boden, stop by your apartment, and then I’ll drive you down there, OK?”

Sylvie bit her lip, pulling it into her mouth, and Matt knew she was suppressing another wave of tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. “Thanks, Matt. I… I—”

“You don’t need to say anything. I will not let you go through this alone. I’m gonna be right here by your side,” he interrupted her before pulling back until only their hands on his chest were still linked. “Let’s talk to Boden.”

Their hands fell away from his chest, dangling between them. He loosened his grip a bit to give her the choice to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, she laced her fingers through his, holding his hand tighter.

Matt gave her another second to pull herself together before he tugged them towards the exit of the locker room. The next few days were going to be rough for Sylvie, but he swore to himself to make them as easy as possible for her.


	2. “Is that my shirt?”/“You mean our shirt?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt #2 (Fluff no. 1: “Is that my shirt?” “You mean our shirt?”)
> 
> This one got a bit steamy/hot. But just a tiny bit, I promise.

The first thing Matt realized was the chilly air that hit his bare chest. His eyes felt heavy, and with a soft groan, he lifted his hands to rub them. When he pulled back his hand, he blinked a few times, but the room around him was still dark. Relieved, he closed his eyes, rolling onto his side to find some warmth, but when he stretched out his arms, he just grabbed onto empty air.

That was weird.

Confused, he forced open his eyes to find the bed next to him empty. He knew something was off when he felt the chilly air hit him just a few seconds ago. It might have been just a week, but he had already gotten used to waking up with blonde hair tickling his face and her warm body wrapped tightly around his. The thought alone made him feel warm and fuzzy, and Matt could feel a smile grazing his lips, his tiredness vanishing.

_Sylvie_.

It had been seven days since they finally took that last step together, throwing caution to the wind and diving in headfirst. Seven days of having her constantly by his side. Seven days of loving and kissing her as often as he could. Seven days of the rest of his life. And it felt wonderful.

Except for the days they were on shift, he had always woken up with her in his arms. She was a cuddler, never straying away from him for more than a few inches. Most of the time, the blonde was pressed to his chest, her nose buried in his neck, and her legs tangled with his. Sometimes he couldn’t tell where he started and she ended, and he loved every second of it.

Craning his neck, he glanced over his shoulder to see the door of her bedroom ajar. Light was streaming in through the small gap, telling him that it was indeed already light outside. Before Sylvie, he would have just turned around and burrowed back into the sheets bed. Especially on a free day like today. But now that he had Sylvie, there was no point in staying in bed without her. He’d rather spend every possible minute with her.

It prompted him to sit up in her bed, pushing the covers away from his body. Getting up, his eyes scanned the room for his clothes that had been carelessly thrown away last night. His sweatpants and boxers were located at the foot of the bed, but his shirt was missing. Maybe he had lost it in the living room, something he couldn’t remember.

They had watched reruns of Property Brother’s, one of Sylvie’s favorite shows. Her legs had been thrown over his lap as she happily commented along with the episodes, and he had absentmindedly run his hands along her leg, just watching her adorable excitement. Until he might have gotten a bit more handsy, and they had a rather hot make-out session on her couch that had eventually led them to her bed.

He wouldn’t want to change a thing about that, and he couldn’t care less where they actually threw his shirt. The physical intimacy he shared with Sylvie was on a whole other level, and making love to her was indescribable.

Giving up on the search, he walked out of the room, his eyes needing a moment to adjust to the bright light. He could hear her humming to some music though, and he followed her melodic voice through the living room and into the kitchen.

She was standing at the stove, a spatula in one hand and the frying pan in the other. There was a bowl next to the stove, and a plate of steaming pancakes sat next to it. Squinting his eyes, he saw dark-purple dots in them. Blueberries. His favorite.

His eyes shifted back to her, taking her in from head to toe. She was wearing his gray shirt. The one he had searched for just moments ago, and he quickly realized that it looked a lot better on her than it ever did on him.

The shirt was huge on her, ending mid-thigh and hanging loosely down her sides. Her creamy, smooth legs were on full display for him, her feet bare.

His brain stopped functioning as his mouth got dry. He could stare at her all day long without ever getting tired. Especially if she looked like this. She was always gorgeous, but right now she looked damn sexy.

With two long strides, he crossed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her middle. She squeaked in surprise but melted into his touch in the next second as his hands sprawled over her stomach and his nose nuzzled into her neck.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” she greeted him. One of her hands reached over her shoulder to run through his hair, and he closed his eyes at her touch.

Pressing a feather-light kiss to the junction of her neck, he mumbled against her skin, ““Is that my shirt? I was looking for it.” It was more of a rhetorical question, but he wanted to hear her say it.

“You mean _our_ shirt?” She quipped, glancing up to him over her shoulder.

Lifting his head from her neck, he raised his eyebrows, “Our shirt?”

She chuckled softly as she flipped the blueberry pancake in the frying pan. “I mean we’ll both wear it. I’ll use it as a sleep shirt, but after I wash it, you have to wear it, so it starts to smell like you again,” she explained casually with a shrug of her shoulders. “Besides, I couldn’t find anything else this morning.”

Amused, he trailed his lips up her neck and to her ear. “So, let me get this straight. You managed to find _this_.” He paused to slip his hand under the shirt, running his forefinger lightly up her leg until he reached the hem of her cotton panties. Hooking his finger under it, he tugged on it, letting it snap back against her skin in the next moment. “But you couldn’t find any of your other clothes?”

With a soft moan, Sylvie sagged against his chest. Her head fell against his collarbone, rolling to the side and exposing her neck to him. The spatula in her hand landed on the counter in front of them before her hand grabbed onto his arm around her waist.

“What can I say? I need to do some laundry today. You’ve been distracting me too much this week,” she conceded in a throaty voice. “And you’re doing it again right now.”

A laugh burst out of him, and he pressed another kiss behind her ear before urging her to turn in his arms. Sylvie obliged, her hands landing on his bare chest as Matt moved them a step away from the stove.

His hand slid out from under her shirt, and he placed it against her hip instead, giving it a soft squeeze. “You never complained about it before.” He tilted his head to the side, locking eyes with her.

“Who says I’m complaining?” Pushing her chin out, she lifted an eyebrow. Her hands wandered up his chest and to his shoulders, curling over them. “But my pancakes will burn if we keep this up.”

“Well, we shouldn’t let that happen. They’re my favorite.” His hand reached out to switch off the stove and push the frying pan onto another stovetop. Focusing back on her, he crowded her against the counter. “Problem solved. Now, how about I keep distracting you?”

A smile grazed her lips, and without wasting time, she pushed herself onto her tiptoes to capture his lips. After a tug to his bottom lip, she ran her tongue over it, making him groan into her mouth. Maybe she was distracting him if they were honest.

His hands flew to her hips, sliding down her sides until he had a good grip on her to hoist her up onto the counter behind her. Sylvie never broke their kiss, opening her legs for him to step between them. Her hands gripped onto his hair, pulling him closer to her just as she tightened her legs around his waist, pressing their fronts together.

He chuckled at her enthusiasm, breaking their kiss for a second to breathe against her lips, “As much as I love our shirt on you, I think it’s time for you two to part ways.”

Sylvie giggled against his mouth, nuzzling her nose against his. “I think I’m OK with that.”

Pressing his lips back against hers, he gave her a chaste kiss, while his hands bunched up the gray shirt. “Good. Because it’s in my way.”

With one swift move, he yanked their shirt up her body and over her head, once again throwing it carelessly behind them. With one less barrier between them, he slanted their mouths together again as he started to lose himself in her.


	3. “Why did you wait until I moved on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got one angsty prompt, and I thought I should better do that today, so I can go back to fluff tomorrow. And I was also kind of in the mood. I'm not too bumped or concerned about the whole Matt thing, but it still played into me writing this. It might be a bit OOC but I don't know.

**Prompt #3 “Why did you wait until I moved on?”**

Sylvie had been sitting at Molly’s when her phone had rung. While she tried to make a point of not looking at her phone while she was out, something had pushed her to do it anyway. It had been Scott which was a bit unusual for a Saturday night. Worry had bubbled up in her, and she had quickly excused herself from Greg to go outside.

Greg. The handsome lieutenant from engine 40 who she had been seeing for several weeks now, yet she was still reluctant to call him her boyfriend. He was sweet and funny, and he constantly made her laugh. It was a pleasant change from all the other emotions that coursed through her body on a daily basis.

Being with him was easy and uncomplicated, and she figured if she gave their relationship some more time, she could fall in love with him. After all, he was everything she had been looking for. He prioritized her over and over again, making sure she knew how much he enjoyed their time together. 

Unlike other people.

Sylvie had stepped outside into the cold February air to talk to Scott. Everything was fine though; he had just called to catch her up about Amelia’s doctor’s appointment from the day before. She had gotten vaccinated, and he just wanted to let her know that she had gotten through it without any symptoms. Just as she was about to step back inside though, Matt came out of the door, his brows furrowed.

“Everything OK?” He asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dark-blue coat as he stepped down the three short steps from the entrance.

He was the last one she wanted to talk to at the moment. He was the one person she was trying hard to forget, but seeing him every third day, and sometimes even in between, made it hard. Most of the time, he kept his distance, which resulted in them rarely speaking. They only communicated on a professional level, but anything that went beyond that was off-limits.

“Everything’s fine,” she mumbled, pulling her coat tighter around herself. “If you would excuse me now.” She moved to step past him.

Taking a step to the side, he blocked her way. “Can we talk for a moment?” He asked, holding up his arm in front of her to prevent her from getting up the steps towards the door.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she shook her head. “No, I don’t think we have anything to say to each other. You made your point very clear.”

“I did what?” He asked confused, the frown on his forehead deepening. “We never talked about what I want.”

Sylvie huffed in disbelief. “Oh, you showed me precisely what you want, Matt. Trust me, I got the message loud and clear.”

“What message? Because I sure as hell don’t remember talking to you in the last few weeks,” Matt countered with frustration in his voice.

Crossing her arms in front of her, Sylvie swallowed. “If you still don’t understand why this can never work, then there is no point in talking about it again. We’re done, Matt.” She had to avert her gaze to blink away her tears. Even weeks after their kiss, it was still painful to think about it. A lot more than she had anticipated at this point.

“No, Sylvie. We’re not done,” Matt countered as he stepped fully in front of her, towering over her smaller body. His hands reached out to her shoulders, holding onto her to prevent her from running the other way.

She flinched at his touch, memories of his hands running down her body flooding her brain. “Please don’t touch me.” Her voice was barely a whisper, but he got the message, pulling his hands away from her.

“I refuse to believe we’re done, Sylvie. I can’t let myself go down this road. I can’t,” he continued with newfound desperation in his voice. One that she hadn’t heard before. “My feelings for you haven’t changed, Sylvie. I can’t get you out of my head.”

And there it was. His vague words and empty promises. They quickly pulled her back into their sad reality. Wrapping her arms tighter around herself, she threw back at him sarcastically, “You have a funny way of showing that. Not even a week had passed before you found someone new to keep you warm.”

That came out meaner than she had intended.

“Are you talking about Hannah?” The firefighter asked in surprise, a deep frown spotting his forehead. “I had one drink with her, and after that, I told her I wasn’t interested in anything more with her. That’s it.”

“But you still went out with her!”

“You were flirting with Grainger right in front of my eyes. It blindsided me, and I just reacted. She was nothing but a distraction from _you_ ,” Matt defended himself, lifting his arms helplessly. “She was my poor attempt to move on from you.”

“Oh, and that’s supposed to make me feel better? What am I then? Just another distraction until Gabby comes back?” Her lips flattened, and she pinched her arm through her thick coat to feel anything other than the heartache Matt was once again causing her. 

“What? No! Why would you even say that?” He blinked confused, his hands going to his hips.

“Because you’re still in love with her!” The paramedic yelled at him, swiftly turning away from him in the next second. The reality of it all hit her like a freight train, and more tears appeared in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she walked a couple of steps away from the door and any windows. Nobody needed to see her like this. Especially not Greg.

For a few seconds, Matt kept quiet behind her, but then she heard his footsteps coming closer to her. His hands landed on her upper arms, making her flinch for a second time.

“Is that why you pushed me away?” His voice was lower, almost softer now, standing in stark contrast to the one from a few minutes ago. “Sylvie, I’m not in love with Gabby. For months, you’ve been the only one on my mind, and these last few weeks made it even clearer for me. I l—”

“Don’t you dare say those words to me now,” she pressed out, whirling around in her spot to face him. Hastily wiping at her cheeks, she locked eyes with him.

Shaking his head, he tilted his head to the side as one of his hands pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Nobody ever asks me what I want, and I’m done sitting back and letting other people decide. Not when it comes to you and me.” Brushing his thumb over her cheekbone, he lifted her chin with his fingers. “I’m in love with you, Sylvie. And I want us to be together.”

Her heart stopped at his words, and a silent tear ran down her cheek. She wanted to feel happy, but she couldn’t. “Why did you wait until I moved on to tell me this?”

Matt sighed. “You wanted space, and I respected that. Heck, that and you going out with Grainger was the only reason I ever agreed to a drink with Hannah. I thought I needed to move on too.” Pulling her closer to him, he leaned his forehead against hers. “But I can’t move on from you, and I don’t think you’ve moved on from me either.”

“Matt, please,” she pleaded with him. She couldn’t think straight after he confessed all of this. Her head was a mess, and her body reacted to him without her approval. Soon her hands were placed on his hips, her hands clutched in his coat.

“I need to know that you heard what I said, Sylvie,” Matt insisted in a steady voice, his fingers scratching over her hairline. “Because I’m not backing down after this. I’m gonna fight for us.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Sylvie rolled her forehead against his, taking every bit of her willpower to separate herself from him. It made her miss his warmth almost immediately, and her hand itched to touch him again, but she stuffed them in her jacket. She needed to be strong.

“I can’t think straight right now, Matt. I can’t give you the answer that you want without clearing my head first,” she said, wrapping her arms around her body. Her eyes were fixed on her shoes because she knew that if she looked at him, her willpower would once again crumble.

“I don’t need an answer. I just need to—”

“Everything OK out here?” A deep voice interrupted Matt, and Sylvie cringed upon recognizing Greg’s voice.

Guilt filled her as the lieutenant stopped next to her, rubbing his hand over her back. “You’ve been gone for quite a while, and I got a bit worried. Is everything fine with Amelia?”

Glancing up at him, Sylvie forced a smile onto her face. “She’s fine. I’m sorry I took so long.”

Greg just smiled at her, pulling her into his side as he placed a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Everything good with you too, Captain?” He then addressed Matt.

“Just great,” Matt mumbled under his breath as Sylvie still refused to look at him.

“How about we go back inside then? It’s pretty cold out here,” the lieutenant suggested, tugging Sylvie back towards the door.

Turning her back towards Matt, Sylvie grabbed Greg’s arm. “Can we actually go home? I’m getting kind of tired.”

The dark-haired man’s brow twitched for a short second, but then he nodded in understanding. “Sure, I just need to settle our tap and you need to get your purse. Then we can get out of here.”

Sylvie could feel Matt’s stare on the back of her head, but she couldn’t turn around to face him again. She could picture his hurt face vividly in her mind, but she couldn’t deal with it right now. But looking at Greg’s handsome face didn’t feel any better to her either. It made her feel guilty which wasn’t any better.

A headache started to form in her right temple, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She needed to get away from this situation and away from both men. As long as her head was this jumbled mess, she couldn’t deal with either of them. It wasn’t fair to them, and it felt wrong to her.

“Let’s go,” Sylvie muttered under her breath, separating herself from Greg.

How was this her life?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened? I guess I can only write steamy fluff or angsty stuff right now?   
> This definitely has a mild M rating just to be sure! 
> 
> Prompt, “You are crushing me right now.”

The first thing Matt learned when he shared a bed with Sylvie for the first time was that she was a cuddler. She molded herself against his body until there wasn’t an inch of space left between them, every part of her body touching his, and he loved it.

He was a cuddler himself, and thus far, he had always been the one to initiate the close contact between his previous partners and himself. Sure, they had hugged him or cuddled with him for a while, but when they had fallen asleep, they had always drifted away from him.

Not Sylvie though.

When he had fallen onto her bed after they had exhausted themselves last night, she had immediately scooted closer to him, pressing her sweaty and naked body against his side. Her leg had been thrown over his, anchoring her to his side, and her arm had laid over his chest, her fingers playing with his chest hair. What he loved most though, was how her face had nuzzled into his neck with her breath fanning against his skin and her lashes fluttering against it whenever she had blinked.

Matt knew that some people didn’t particularly enjoy the feeling of someone breathing against their neck or skin in general, but to him, it was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. It reminded him of how lucky he was to have her in his arms.

They had both gotten up separately during the night to use the bathroom, but each time they had crawled back into bed, Sylvie had found him within seconds, melting against him once more. When he had woken up just a few minutes ago, his arm had felt numb after she had slept on it the entire night.

Until now, he couldn’t get himself to care, but the tingling intensified to the point where it really got uncomfortable, and as much as he didn’t want to disturb her sleep, he needed to move.

Tightening his grip on her, he rolled from his back onto his side, pulling his arm out from under her head in the process. The blonde grumbled softly for a second, but then she shifted in her spot to adjust her position as well. She had slipped down when he moved, her forehead now resting against his chest and her breasts pressed against the hard plains of his stomach. One of her legs slipped between his, forcing him to throw his leg over her hip.

The position was different, but nonetheless still perfect. It gave him room to move his tingling arm, stretching it and opening and closing his fist. Once his arm felt like it belonged to the rest of his body again, he propped it up over her head to take her in.

Her eyes were still closed, fluttering ever so often, almost as if she was dreaming. Her hands were both placed against his chest, and Matt marveled at how well she fit into his embrace. It looked like she belonged right there. Like she had been made to fit exactly like this against him.

Not being able to resist the urge, he bowed his head, laying a kiss against her hairline. He meant to keep it light, but when her unique smell filled his nostrils, he couldn’t move his lips away from her again. She smelled different than usual, and it took him a second to realize that she now smelled like _them_.

Their scents had mixed during their lovemaking and their close contact all through the night, blending into a new one that felt addicting to him. His body reacted to it as the blood in his body shot south, and his arms tightened possessively around her, bringing her closer to him.

A groan escaped her lips, and Sylvie rubbed her nose against his chest before her lips landed on his skin.

“Good morning,” she mumbled as she delivered a few fluttering kisses to his sternum. One of her arms slipped out from between them, sneaking over his side with her hand sprawling over his back.

“Hey,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “Did I wake you?”

“Hm, I was just dozing,” she replied, her fingers trailing over his spine. “I woke up when you moved us.” Her lashes fluttered against his chest, and she pressed another lingering kiss to his skin.

“Well, you were using me as your pillow all night, and my arm was asleep,” Matt chuckled, grabbing her by the hip and dragging her up his body.

Her head landed next to his on the pillow this time, but his arm was once again positioned under her. He stretched it out along her back, using it to keep them as close as possible. Her leg slipped out from between his, and she moved it over his hip, once again eliminating any space between them.

“I feel like you weren’t opposed to it,” she smiled, bumping her nose against his. Her hand ran up his back until it rested against his cheek, her thumb brushing over the skin under his eye.

Connecting their foreheads, he closed his eyes. “I will never not enjoy having you wrapped around me. In fact, I’m encouraging you to do it all the time.”

“Good,” she breathed, her lips hovering over his. “Because we’ve had enough space between us over the last couple of months.”

“I’m glad we can agree on that,” he muttered against her lips, before fusing them together for a gentle kiss.

Sylvie hummed into his mouth, her hand trailing to his neck and waving into his hair. It was another thing he had learned. His blonde paramedic loved his short strands. Her fingers had continuously run through it last night, her nails scraping over his scalp, and he’d be lying if he said it hadn’t made him go crazy.

It wasn’t any different this morning, and when she squeezed her thigh around his hip, aligning their centers, he moaned with pleasure. In his haze to deepen their kiss, he tipped their bodies over with Sylvie landing on her back and him nestled between her legs.

His full weight rested on her, fusing their naked bodies together seamlessly, and before he could lift himself off her, her tongue slipped into his mouth. A deep groan left his throat, and out of their own accord, his hips bucked against hers, his arousal sliding through her moist heat.

Sylvie whimpered under him, and it fueled his desire for her. Separating their lips, he moved his mouth down her throat until he could latch onto the junction of her neck. It was one of her most sensitive spots. Another thing he learned last night.

“Matt,” she moaned as she moved her head to the side to give him better access. Her fingers were clenched in his hair, guiding his head a little further up.

Following her lead, he moved his lips an inch, and seconds later, he was rewarded with her hips rolling against his and her fingers gripping his hair tightly. Together with her soft keens, his sanity went out of the window, and he pushed down harder on her to match her thrusts.

“Ugh, Matt, hold up,” Sylvie heaved, her hands pushing against his shoulders. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re crushing me right now.”

He pulled back from her immediately, readjusting his weight onto his arms without putting too much distance between them. “Sorry,” he mumbled sheepishly as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. “I got a bit carried away there.”

“Oh no, don’t apologize. I was really enjoying that,” Sylvie stopped him, pulling his lips towards hers for a chaste kiss. “I’m all for no space, but maybe we can try that with a little less of your weight? You’re really big.”

An amused grin crossed his lips. Raising an eyebrow, he locked eyes with her. “Is that so? I didn’t hear you complain last night.”

“Matt Casey! That’s not what I meant. Get your mind out of the gutter!” Sylvie exclaimed with wide eyes, hitting his shoulder with a loud smack. A blush formed on her cheeks, spreading down her throat and towards her chest.

Matt laughed deeply before his lips found their way back onto her neck. The last echoes of his laughter died against her skin, and he trailed one of his hands down her side until he could grab onto her thigh. Pushing it up her body, he shifted his hips and slipped into her with one gentle thrust.

A long moan left the blonde’s lips when their bodies met, and her hands wounded back into his hair. “Matt…”

“I think we both like we’re my mind’s going right now,” he breathed against her neck, sucking against her soft spot in the next second. She tasted heavenly, and he knew he would never get enough of her.

Her legs wrapped around his hips in return, and the new angle allowed him to slip deeper into her. It distracted him for a moment as he was flooded with intense pleasure. Just as he was about to move his hips, her thighs tightened around him and she flipped them over in one swift move, their bodies staying connected the entire time.

Sitting up on top of him, she rested her hands on his chest. “I think it’s time for me to take over,” she corrected him, tilting her head to the side, and drawing up an eyebrow. “We don’t need to inflate your ego even more right now.”

His eyes slowly moved up her body, lingering on her chest for a second longer, before he found her eyes. Resting one of his hands against her thigh, he grabbed onto her hip with his other one. “I think I can live with that too.”

“Good.” She smiled mischievously at him, sending him a quick wink. “Because I’m enjoying this view.”

Another laugh burst out of him, and he squeezed her hip teasingly. “That makes two of us.”

Shaking her head in amusement, the paramedic leaned down to him, connecting their lips in a gentle kiss. “I love you.”

His heart swelled at her words, and he bumped their noses together. Brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear, he cupped her cheek. “I love you too.”

She smiled at him, resting her forehead against his before she experimentally rolled her hips against his. His arms tightened around her for the millionth time today, removing every inch of space between them. Their lips fused together too, and soon they lost themselves in each other, their moans the only thing heard in her bedroom.


	5. “Could you say that again?” “Were you not listening?” “No, I was, I just like hearing your voice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be fluff, but it's only borderline fluff? More angsty than anything else, but I didn't know how else I could use that prompt. It didn't feel like something Casey would necessarily say. Let's just call this implied fluff.
> 
> Could be possible for 9x08 I guess.

**Prompt # 5, “Could you say that again?” “Were you not listening?” “No, I was, I just like hearing your voice.”**

Matt Casey had always had some pretty shitty luck in his life, but these last couple of weeks just topped it all. And it all boiled down to one single person. Sylvie Brett.

He had exactly two minutes of total bliss with her before everything started to slowly crumble right in front of him. First, it had been her question about Gabby. It took him off guard, but when he left her that night, it didn’t seem like anything he couldn’t fix.

At that point, he hadn’t been too worried about it all. He had figured he had to approach this a little differently, but when Sylvie had shut him down again, it had stung. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t willing to give them a try.

Yes, their history was messy, and Gabby had been a big part of both of their lives, but she was gone. Not only from his life, but also from Sylvie’s. Matt hadn’t given his ex-wife any thought for months.

He was 100% certain that he wouldn’t want to get back together with her, even if they had history. That history made it abundantly clear to him that it wouldn’t work out with her, and he could say with absolute certainty that Gabby was in his past.

But it was a past he couldn’t erase. And frankly, he didn’t want to. Gabby had been a big part of his life and being with her had taught him a lot. It made him into the person he was now, and he wouldn’t want to change that. He was in a good place in life. Well, apart from his romantic life.

So, when Sylvie had put an end to their relationship because of Gabby, Matt wasn’t sure how to fix it. Adding to that, Sylvie had looked terribly hurt, and he hated the idea that it was because of him. Her happiness meant the world to him, which is why he stepped back and gave her space just like she had asked.

In hindsight, it hadn’t been his wisest decision, especially considering where they were now. After Sydney came and left—he had gotten one drink with her—things between them got even more frosty. The blonde paramedic wouldn’t even look at him anymore, let alone talk.

And to cap it all, she had started to date Lieutenant Greg Grainger. Until now, Matt’s only encounter with him had been in front of firehouse 40, when the younger man had asked him about Sylvie’s love life; a moment that he’d rather forget about. Other than that, Matt just saw the two of them together at Molly’s from time to time, but the captain made a point to stay out of their way as best as possible.

Just the other day, he had witnessed one of their encounters, and it had to restrain himself to not make a scene. He had just walked into Molly’s, and the two of them had sat close together at the end of the bar, talking in hushed voices.

_“Could you say that again?” Greg had asked as he smiled at her._

_“Were you not listening?” Sylvie had wondered, the irritation in her voice clear as day._

_“No, I was, I just like hearing your voice.” The lieutenant had answered._

After that, Matt didn’t think it could get any worse, but it did. With Herrmann taking a long weekend to spent time with his family, Grainger had filled in for him on engine. Out of all the people, he was the last one Matt expected to see when he had come to shift this morning. It didn’t make any sense to him because Grainger wasn’t a floater. He had a permanent position at firehouse 40 and the same shift rotation, so Matt had no clue how exactly he managed to get on their shift.

It didn’t matter though, because there was nothing Matt could change about it, so he locked himself into his quarters with the door closed. It was bad enough to witness Sylvie and Grainger at Molly’s. He really didn’t need to watch them be happy with each other on shift too. It was too much.

A call for truck and engine had forced Matt to work with Grainger, and apart from their situation, Matt had to say that he was a decent guy. He was good at his job and nice to everyone around him. It made it harder for Matt to not like him. It felt wrong.

It wasn’t Grainger’s fault that Sylvie and he were on the outs. The lieutenant was just in the middle of it. Well, not exactly because there wasn’t anything to be in the middle of, but still.

61 had a solo call, so another ambulance had been at the scene with them, but when they pulled back to the station two hours later, the ambulance was back in its slot.

Matt’s eyes wandered to the back of it, searching for the blonde paramedic. Seeing her was painful, but he couldn’t help himself. She was always the last person he looked at before running into a burning building, and the first person he found after coming back out or in today’s case, coming back to the station.

She was standing in front of the opened doors in the back, a clipboard in her hands. It had been a while since she had looked back at him, but today she did. Maybe on accident, but she did.

Their eyes met for a brief second before her head wiped back around, and she averted her gaze onto the clipboard. It was enough though for him to see the discoloration on her face, and without thinking, he marched over to her in long, quick strides.

“What happened?” He asked in horror as he stopped next to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he turned her towards him, crossing all their boundaries from the last few weeks.

“It’s nothing. We got called to a demonstration, and things got a bit hairy for a second. One of the protesters got me with his elbow,” Sylvie explained, briefly glancing up to him. “Squad came for crowd control and PD dissolved it.”

“It’s not nothing!” Matt exclaimed louder than he intended, reaching out to cup her cheek. “Did they at least arrest the guy?”

He gingerly ran a finger over the blue and purple bruise on her cheekbone. It was swollen and warm to his touch, and there was no doubt in his mind that it must hurt. And that made him furious.

“No, they didn’t. It was an accident. He didn’t mean to hurt me,” Sylvie defended her attacker, holding her face still while he inspected it.

“It doesn’t matter if he did it on purpose or not. He hurt you either way,” Matt countered angrily, clenching his fist by his side. His protective streak was in full gear, and he was ready to go find that guy himself.

“Lower your voice, Casey,” Sylvie hissed as she shrugged his hand off her cheek. “It was an accident, and nothing more. People make mistakes, something that both you and I should be very familiar with.” Her lips flattened, and she threw her clipboard onto the stretcher in the ambulance. “Besides, this isn’t any of your concern. Not anymore.”

With that, she swiftly turned around, storming off towards the common room. Mackey, who had sat quietly in the ambulance, jumped out and followed her hastily.

“You’re an idiot,” Stella mumbled as she walked past him and into the same direction as the other two women.

A mistake. Had she just called their kiss a mistake? Because that was far from what it was to him. For him, it was everything. It showed him what he had been missing out on his entire life, and what he wanted for the rest of it.

Giving her space was one thing, but hearing her blunt words was something entirely different. It ripped his heart out. Did he really lose his chance with her for good?

When Mouch walked past him and shook his head, Matt realized what had just happened. Kidd was right. He was a complete dumbass who had just made a scene at their workplace, in front of almost all of their colleagues and friends.

“I guess I really stepped into that one, huh?” Grainger’s voice sounded up behind him.

Great, he was the last person he wanted to talk to. Of course, her boyfriend had to witness that too. He probably had something to say about it. If Sylvie was his girlfriend and another man manhandled her like that, Matt would have stepped in too.

“I’m not sure I can follow,” Matt muttered, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he turned around.

“When I first asked you about Brett, I asked about the paramedic in your house. I didn’t think that meant your house, your girl,” the lieutenant answered, tilting his head from one side to the other. He pursed his lips, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

God, no. If he messed up Sylvie’s relationship with Grainger too, she would never forgive him. His prospect of at least restoring their friendship was suddenly looking equally bad, and he had to do something to fix that.

“Sylvie’s not my girl.” Matt squared his shoulders, leveling the lieutenant with a pointed look. He hated that phrase. He would never lay a claim on her like that. “Not that that’s any of your business.”

Uh, that was a lie. Grainger was her boyfriend. Of course, it was his business.

The younger man didn’t seem fussed about it though as he continued, “I guess now I know who she was talking about a couple of nights back.”

“What?” Now Matt was simply confused. What was that guy even talking about?

“She broke things off between us. Told me that she couldn’t see me anymore because she wasn’t ready to be with someone new. Apparently, her heart still belongs to someone else,” the lieutenant explained with a shake of his head. “What I don’t get is why you two are not together. You clearly care about her too.”

His brain needed a minute to process this new information. They had broken up because Sylvie still had feelings for him. For _him_ , and not for Grainger.

“Look, this isn’t any of my business, but Sylvie’s a great woman. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone quite like her, and if there was even the slightest chance that she could choose me, I’d fight like hell to get her,” Grainger remarked before puffing out some air. “But I don’t stand a chance against you.” He paused, shaking his head with a pained laugh. “Which I frankly don’t understand. It doesn’t look like you’re doing anything to get her back.”

“That’s enough, Lieutenant,” Matt stopped him with a firm voice, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He didn’t need a lecture from anyone about the mess he had made with Sylvie. Least of all from her ex-boyfriend.

The dark-haired man lifted his hands in front of him. “Just saying. I don’t know what happened, but she’s not moving on anytime soon. I think she’s still holding on to a tiny piece of hope.”

Matt just stared at him with a pointed look, squaring his jaw and shoulders. That man wasn’t taking a hint.

Grainger puffed out some air, shrugging his shoulders one last time before he stepped past Matt. Their conversation left Matt uneasy, especially the part where Grainger implied Matt didn’t know what he was missing out on. That simply wasn’t true. 

“I know how special she is,” Matt called over his shoulder to the lieutenant. “And it’s true. She’s worth fighting for.”

Grainger didn’t stop again, and Matt didn’t feel the need to clarify anything more. He had a lot to think about now. It looked like he did have one last chance, and he knew it’d be his final one. He had to make it count, otherwise, he had to live with the consequences for the rest of his life.

And a life without Sylvie Brett was unthinkable.


	6. Prompt #6, “It’s pouring rain why are you here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just overwhelmed by all the content we got today. And I desperately need to sleep now.   
> This was inspired by something Logan said.

The sound of the rain hitting the big windows in the loft was the only noise heard in the large room. Matt was sitting in the chair that sat in the corner of the room, staring outside onto the dark city. He could barely make anything out as the heavy rain blurred the images in front of his eyes.

He had a beer in his hand, which he had nursed for the last hour. By now, it was already lukewarm and tasted crappy, but he didn’t care. His life was a mess.

He was 39 and still lived with his best friend and fiancée. Granted, he had looked at a couple of apartments in the last few weeks, but it was a bust. There were simply not what he was looking for and that had made him give up the search rather quick. Besides, Severide and Kidd weren’t pushing him to move out, and he also had no one else in his life that made him want to move out. Why should he then?

The biggest mess though was his love life. His first fiancée had died in a fire, which was really fucked up considering his job, and his second fiancée, well wife or ex-wife, had left him because he wouldn’t give her the one thing she wanted. He wasn’t mad at Gabby for leaving him. No, he had closed that door a long time ago. He was glad she found something that made her happy. But he hated the fact that she was the one thing that kept him from finding happiness again. Of course, it wasn’t her fault. She wasn’t doing anything, but she was still the wedge that seemed to be impossible to remove.

How could he? She was a part of his life for five years, and he couldn’t just erase that. And he didn’t want to. He learned a lot from that relationship, and a lot of good and bad things happened during those years, but they shaped him into the person he was now. They led him to this point in his life.

The point where all he wanted was Sylvie Brett, but she was the one thing he couldn’t have. Over and over again, she had told him they couldn’t happen, but his heart never fully got the message. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t move past her.

Hell, he had watched her be with Grainger for weeks on end, but after his poor attempt with Sydney, he had given up on finding anybody else.

At first, he tried to be her friend, which worked fine for a while. When she had broken up with Grainger though, he had grasped the opportunity by the forelock to push for something more with her for a second time, but she had shut him down vehemently. He hadn’t given up as easily this time around, trying to show her that they could have something special. For weeks, he had worked his ass off to make her feel wanted, but yesterday, when he had tried to take her hand, she had thrown the Gabby thing back into his face and left before he could say his part.

And that frustrated him. Why wouldn’t anyone ever listen to him? Was his opinion not important?

A knock on the door pulled him out of his sour thoughts, and he placed his beer on the floor next to the armchair he was sitting in, before getting up and going towards the door. He had no idea who was coming to visit him this late. Maybe it was someone for Severide or Kidd, but his roommates were at the cabin for the next two days.

The knocking got louder, and just before he pushed down the handle of the door, someone slapped his hands against the metal with a loud bang.

“Open up! I know you’re home!” A familiar voice called out from the other side.

With one swift move, Matt pulled the door open, coming into view with Sylvie Brett. Her appearance confused him for a second, but she didn’t give him time to gather his thoughts, stomping past him and into the loft.

“We need to talk,” she greeted him in a strained voice, and his eyes followed her movements until she came to a stop a few feet away from the sofa.

Her hands balled into fists as she pressed her arms down her sides. She was wearing a yellow raincoat that was unzipped and dripping from the rain. The rest of her clothes didn’t look any better, and her hair was wet too, the few strands that had fallen out of her ponytail sticking to her face.

“It’s pouring rain, Sylvie. Why are you here?” Matt asked flabbergasted as he closed the door behind her with a nudge. When it fell shut with a soft click, he moved over to the kitchen, opening one of the drawers to grab a kitchen towel.

“Because I’m mad at you! You’re a complete jackas—donkey!” She yelled at him, wiping a stray drop of water from her face.

“Did you just try to cuss?” He asked bewildered as he threw the towel towards her. He fought hard against the grin that threatened to cover his lips, clenching his teeth tightly together. 

“That’s irrelevant. Stop deflecting, Casey,” she growled as she caught the towel but slammed it down onto the ground in front of her like a mad five-year-old, “This is not about me!”

“Then what is this about? Because I don’t know why you’re mad at me,” Matt questioned her carefully, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” She asked in disbelief, taking a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. “You never say what you mean, and I never know what you want from me. You’re just sending me mixed signals all the time!”

“I’m doing what now?” Matt asked surprised, pushing himself off the counter. “I think I’ve been very clear about my feelings for you, but you just keep shutting me down!”

“No, you’ve been all over me ever since I broke up with Greg, and when I allow myself to think that you do want me, you start to bring Gabby into all of this again,” Sylvie snapped as she pointed her finger accusingly into his direction. They were both slowly moving towards the other until there was less than a foot left between them.

“Because you seemed to have an issue with her. And last time I checked, _you_ brought her up yesterday,” Matt corrected her with a huff. “Gabby is not someone I can erase from my life. She’s been your best friend too, and I—”

“No! You don’t get to do that,” she interrupted him, shoving her finger into his chest. “You say you’re not sending me mixed signals, but here we are again!”

“That’s because you’re not listening!” He yelled back at her, his voice louder than he intended.

It made her flinch, and her face hardened. “I can’t let you break my heart again. I barely managed to pick myself up last time, and I can’t go through that again. I’m not strong enough for that.”

Matt wasn’t sure what prompted him to make his next move. Maybe it was the way she looked utterly wrecked and heartbroken with her drenched clothes and sticky hair, or maybe it was his frustration at her once again not letting him voice his feelings. Either way, he lunged forward, grabbing her face with both of his hands as he pushed her backward and against the nearest wall.

Her back hit the brick wall with a soft thud, and in the back of his mind, he registered that he might have been too rough, but in that second, he didn’t care as he slanted his lips against hers, tasting her for the first time in months.

For the longest time, he kept his lips firmly pressed to hers, waiting for any kind of reaction from her, but her body was tense, almost rigid against his. One of his hands separated from her face, and he let it wander down her arm until he reached her hand. Grabbing it, he guided it to his hip, holding it to his body until he felt her fingers grip onto his t-shirt.

It took another fleeting moment before the rest of the tension left her body, and she melted into him. Her hand flew up to his neck, and then she pulled herself closer to him, her lips opening under his. Without wasting any more time, he deepened their kiss, letting his tongue run against the seam of her lips.

A soft whimper left her throat, and her hand gripped onto the short strands of hair in his neck, urging him on. The feeling of having her so close was intoxicating, and his body reacted to her as he pressed her firmer against the wall.

It caused the blonde to lift one of her legs, and before he realized it, his hand had moved to her thigh, running a path alongside it. Another soft whimper left her lips, and the next time their lips met, she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

All thoughts left his mind after that, and things escalated quickly. At first, one of her hands slipped under his shirt, skimming over the bare skin of his hip, and then both of his hands were on her ass, lifting her until her legs were firmly wrapped around him.

When his mouth moved to her neck, sucking at her pulse point, she moaned loudly, her hips bucking against his. She tasted heavenly and together with the way she was so tightly wrapped around him, he quickly moved towards oblivion.

“Matt,” she whimpered as he nibbled at the soft skin of her throat, his groin rubbing against hers.

The way she said his name pulled him out of his lust. She hadn’t called him Matt in quite a while. Slowing his assault on her neck, he trailed his lips up her throat and back to hers, pressing a gentle kiss against them.

When he pulled back, he was met with her heated and dazed eyes. She looked thoroughly kissed, and he was a little proud of himself for that. Reaching his hand up to her face, he pushed a few of her wet strands of hair out of her face.

“I love you, Sylvie,” he confessed in a soft voice, brushing his thumb over the apple of her cheek. “I’ve loved you for quite a while now, and I want to be with you. I know Gabby is an issue for you, but I can’t wipe her out of my past.”

Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes turned gentle. “I don’t want you to forget her, Matt.”

Wrinkling his brows, he shook his head in defeat, “Then I don’t know what the problem is.”

Sylvie let her head fall back against the wall, her hands moving to frame his neck. She swallowed hard as she averted her gaze. “I want you to want me for me. Not because you can’t have somebody else.”

“What made you think I didn’t want you for you, Sylvie?” He asked perplexed until it suddenly dawned on him. “Is that why you keep bringing up Gabby? You think I’m just waiting for her to come back?”

Sylvie kept quiet for a moment, her hands playing with the hem of his shirt. “I had a front-row seat to your marriage, Matt. And I know a lot more than you might think. She was my best friend and you two had this epic love story.”

“With an emphasis on had,” Matt stressed with a huff. “And our relationship was not epic. We struggled and fought more than I’d liked to admit. Our relationship wasn’t flawless.” He trailed his fingers to her chin, resting them under it. “Hey, look at me.”

Taking a deep breath, Sylvie lifted her eyes back to his.

“I don’t know if you heard my earlier words, but I’ll gladly repeat them,” he told her, resting his forehead against hers. “I love you, and I want to be with you. Only you, and no one else.”

Her eyes closed at his words, and he could feel the tension leaving her body with the relieved sigh that left her lips. She sagged in his arms, and he had to adjust his hold on her, pushing her a bit firmer into the wall.

“I love you too,” she whispered, her hands framing his face as she rolled her forehead against his. “I really do.”

A smile spread over his face, and he nudged his nose against hers. “I’m glad we’re finally on the same page about that then.”

A laugh burst out of her throat, and she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “Look at us communicating again. I missed this.”

Opening his eyes, he moved his head back from hers, mustering her for a moment. He almost forgot that her clothes were drenched from the rain. She must be freezing. “How about we get you some dry clothes? You’re gonna catch a cold.”

He tried to let her down as he stepped back from the wall, but Sylvie only tightened her legs around him.

“I could think of a few different ways for you to warm me up,” she suggested innocently, her fingers tugging at the collar of his sweater.

Matt laughed loudly. “You do, huh? You might have to show me.”

With a grin on her face, Sylvie framed his cheeks, smashing their lips together again as she mumbled, “That can be arranged.”


	7. “It’s you, it always has been you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got out of hand quickly. It also happened differently in my head. Now the ending feels weird, but well. Let me know what you think!

**Prompt #7** **“It’s you, it always has been you.”**

Sylvie wasn’t exactly sure what happened. One second she was checking out a victim that was trapped in the basement, and the next second a loud bang rang through her ears and she blacked out.

Next thing she knew, she was waking up in a hospital bed, the monotone beeping of the heart rate monitor echoing through her ears. Her eyes fluttered, but they felt too heavy to open. When she tried to swallow, her throat immediately started to burn, and a whimper left her lips. Her forehead wrinkled in pain, and when she finally managed to blink her eyes open, a dull ache throbbed through her head.

“Hey there, easy,” someone whispered, and a warm hand landed on her forehead. “Here, drink something.” The warm hand was stroking over her hairline, the gentle ministrations soothing the ache in her head as they gave her something else to concentrate on.

Sylvie recognized the voice as Stella’s, and when she turned her head in her direction, she found the dark-haired woman smiling down at her. She was still in her turnout pants, the red suspenders standing in stark contrast to her dark-blue jacket.

“Take a sip of water. It’s gonna help with your throat,” Stella urged her as she lifted a cup to her mouth, pressing a red straw against Sylvie’s lips.

Capturing the plastic between her lips, Sylvie drew in some of the cold liquid, feeling immediate relief from the burning pain in her throat. Closing her eyes, she gulped down another sip. 

“There you go,” Stella whispered as her fingers carded softly through her hair. “Will and Maggie are here too. I’m sure they can give you something to help with the pain.”

Her friend’s words prompted Sylvie to open her eyes and turn her head towards the other side of her bed. Maggie was standing next to her bed with a gentle smile on her face, her arm resting somewhere over Sylvie’s head. Will stood right next to her, his stethoscope in his hands.

“Hey, Sylvie. How are you feeling?” The doctor asked her, his hand rubbing her leg.

Clearing her throat once more, Sylvie swallowed hard, wetting her lips. “My head hurts,” she croaked. The effect of the water Stella gave her a few minutes ago had subsided, and her throat was burning again. “My throat hurts too.”

“Alright, Maggie’s gonna give you some fentanyl for the pain, and then you’ll feel better in a second,” Will assured her, nodding towards Maggie.

The nurse turned around to grab the needle and vial, and Sylvie watched as she filled up the syringe with practiced ease. The movements were familiar to the paramedic, and when Maggie administered the dosage into her IV, Sylvie closed her eyes.

From her training, she knew the fentanyl would kick in rather quick, and after a few deep breaths, the blonde felt the pain in her head slowly subside and the burning in her throat getting less. Even breathing felt a bit easier, and soon she opened her eyes again, looking more clearly at Will.

“Now, can you tell me what happened?” Will asked her, crossing his arms over his chest.

Nodding, Sylvie swallowed again, before starting, “We got called to a house collapse, and one of the victims was trapped in the basement. I had to go inside to treat him.” She stopped, wrinkling her forehead. “His legs were trapped under a piece of concrete, and he was bleeding from his thigh. I was trying to stop the bleeding, but then there was this loud bang, and I think I blacked out.”

“The stairs collapsed behind you, and you got hit with a piece of the wooden railing,” Stella filled in for her, her friend’s hand moving from her head to her shoulder. “It hit you on the head and knocked you out.”

“Oh.” Sylvie lifted her hand to her forehead, feeling a bandage over the side of her temple for the first time. It made sense considering the dull ache that she had just felt minutes ago.

“You’ve got a mild concussion, and a gash that needed a couple of stitches,” Will provided as Sylvie’s fingers touched the area around the bandage. “You’re also suffering from smoke inhalation, but luckily you didn’t get any burns.”

Narrowing her eyes, Sylvie turned back towards Stella. “I don’t remember a fire.”

Stella took a deep breath as she gave her shoulder a soft squeeze. “When the stairs collapsed, some of the old wiring must have ripped out and somehow it sparked. The entire basement was lit in seconds.”

“What?” Sylvie stuttered, her hand falling from her forehead back onto her bed. “Then how did I not get any burns?”

Stella kept quiet, pressing her lips together.

“Stella. How did I get out of this without a single burn?” Sylvie repeated her question a bit more firmly. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Will and Maggie silently leaving the room. They all knew something that she didn’t and it made her nervous.

When the door closed with a soft snap, Stella pursed her lips as she slowly sat down on the edge of Sylvie’s bed. Her hand dropped from her shoulder, and the firefighter folded them in her lap instead.

“Casey shielded you from it,” she confessed, her eyes averting onto her hands. “He jumped to cover you the second the stairs started to collapse. Most of the wood structure hit him, and the two of you got buried under it.”

“How… how did he get there so fast?” Sylvie asked in disbelief, her mind going a million miles an hour. It all felt like a déjà vu. They’ve been at this point before. “I didn’t even know he was in there with me.”

“I don’t know,” Stella shrugged, taking a deep breath. “But if he hadn’t been there, we might not be sitting here right now.” Her friend looked back up to her, their eyes meeting.

A mix of fear and relief reflected from the dark-haired woman’s eyes, and Sylvie blinked as a heavy feeling settled on her chest. Stella hadn’t said it in so many words, but the paramedic had gotten the gist. She could have died.

Out of all her close calls in her career, she couldn’t quite wrap her head around this one. She had stared down the barrel of a gun several times, and patients had gotten physical with her before too, but this felt different. To some extent, it reminded her of the Arnow fire where she had broken her arm and they had lost Otis, but it somehow felt a lot different. She had been awake the whole time, seeing the danger with her own eyes. This time though, she would have slipped away without even realizing it.

The thought was scary, and she pressed her lips together, closing her eyes for a second. She wasn’t ready to die just yet. Then again, no one was ever ready to die. Just like nobody was ever prepared to watch a loved one die. Losing Otis had been horrible, and that pain still lingered around the firehouse even two years after the accident.

She hated the idea that she nearly added to that pain, and tears welled up in her eyes. Her vision blurred, and her lips quivered.

“Don’t go there, girl,” Stella hushed her, moving forward to wrap her arms around Sylvie’s torso. “We got you out, and you’ll be fine. You might need to take a couple of shifts off, but after that, you’ll be back on ambo in no time.”

Pulling in a steadying breath, Sylvie buried her face in Stella’s neck. Her arms wound around her too, holding her friend tightly. The firefighter rubbed her hands comfortingly over Sylvie’s back, and the motions calmed her enough to suppress her tears.

“You know Severide once told me the only acceptable way to go out of this world is because of old age. With the two of us together surrounded by our kids and grandkids. And I think that also applies to you,” her friend told her, giving her a final squeeze before pulling back. “One day in the far, far away future, you’ll die happily with your husband and kids and grandkids around you.”

Stella’s words were nice, but Sylvie’s love life was a mess. It had always been a mess, but Matt Casey did a number on her. Of course, it wasn’t his fault. She had just misinterpreted their friendship and his gestures for something they weren’t. It was stupid and foolish of her to think that Matt Casey of all people could ever love her. That he’d be the one person who wanted her for her and loved her for who she was. But he hadn’t been that person, and he made it perfectly clear when he moved on with his rescue crush.

And as her luck would have it, just a few weeks later, there was someone who wanted her for all the right reasons, but she managed to screw that up too. Greg Grainger was the definition of perfect, and he had pulled out all the stops to make her feel special and wanted. It made her happy for a short while, but when he had shown up at 51 today, things had gone south rather quick.

_“When you talked about your bad luck with men, I didn’t think it would be something so recent.”_

_“Huh?”_

_“This morning when I got here, you were getting coffee, and the captain walked up to you. I could see the way he looked at you, and I also feel the way he looks at me whenever I’m talking with you.”_

_“Casey and I are just friends.”_

_“When you were out on your call, he waited by the tower the entire time until you came back. I don’t do that with any of the paramedics at my house.”_

_“Greg…”_

_“I see the way you look at him too, you know? Your eyes find him more often than you might think. It’s hard not to notice.”_

She hadn’t known how to respond to that, and luckily, she hadn’t needed to as they got called out to the building collapse. 

The last few weeks she had tried her best to get over her feelings for Matt, but seeing him almost every day hadn’t made it easy. Seeing him with Sydney had hurt more than she liked to admit. He might have tried to hide the shirt in his hands, but she wasn’t dumb. Knowing that he slept with her stung pretty bad, and it also manifested her assumption that he was just trying to fill a void.

But no matter how many justifications she had to get over him, her heart didn’t seem to cooperate. Matt Casey was still at the forefront of her mind, and there was no denying it. She just hoped that in time, she would be able to move on from him.

Letting out a shaky breath, Sylvie bit her lip. “I don’t know, I might never get married.”

“Sylvie Brett! I just gave you a pep talk a couple of weeks back, but I’m gonna haul Foster’s ass over here if you don’t start believing in yourself again. And you know how she gets when you doubt yourself,” Stella chastised her, framing Sylvie’s face with both of her hands. “You are a catch, and any guy who gets to be with you should consider himself lucky.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as Sylvie whispered, “I love you, Stella. If you weren’t in a relationship with Severide, I’d wanna spent the rest of my life with you.”

A laugh burst out of her friend’s throat, and the firefighter patted her cheek affectionately. “I’m flattered, but there is no chance you’ll end up alone, Sylvie. There are two men waiting outside your room who can’t wait to see you, you just have to tell me which one to get.”

Sylvie wrinkled her forehead in confusion. “I’m sorry?”

Stella tilted her head to the side as she pulled her hands back from Sylvie’s cheeks. “You know exactly who I’m talking about and you have two options now. Number one: I can get you the sweet and uncomplicated one who’s worried about you because he likes you. Or number two: I get the messy one that doesn’t know how to express himself around you but almost needed to be restrained when they told him he couldn’t see you because his worst fear is losing the one person who’s most important to him.”

At that point, Sylvie’s head was spinning. Stella’s words rang through her ears, and there was no doubt in her mind who Stella was talking about. The fact that she had two options surprised her, and it overwhelmed her.

“I don’t… I don’t know, Stella,” Sylvie whispered.

“I think you do.”

She knew what her heart wanted, but she also knew that it would cause her more heartbreak. Gnawing at her lip, Sylvie folded her hands in her lap, searching for the wristband of her watch. She couldn’t find it though; they must have taken it off her when she got to the hospital. Without her outlet, she scratched along her wrist gently.

“Look, I’ve been keeping quiet about the whole Casey debacle, but I think you two should talk again. I don’t know much but I live with the guy, and I can tell you that he’s been moping around the apartment for weeks,” Stella confessed, pursing her lips. “He jumped out of a moving fire truck for you, and today, I watched him beg to get you out of the basement first.”

A glimmer of hope ignited inside of her as her heart skipped several beats. It was dangerous, but Sylvie trusted Stella more than anything. Her friend would never push her if she wasn’t certain what she was talking about.

“Can you get him?” Sylvie found herself asking, her voice faint.

Standing up from the bed, Stella nodded. “Just please hear him out. He’s a mess, and he refused to take any painkillers so he’s probably also in a lot of pain.”

For the first time, Sylvie realized that he must have gotten hurt just as bad as she had. He had shielded her. Her heart sunk, and panic spread through her body. “Is he alright?”

“He’s pretty banged up, but he’s too riled up to listen to anyone right now,” Stella told her as she walked towards the door. “Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”

The thought of Matt being seriously hurt made Sylvie’s stomach churn. She watched as her friend left her room, and the blonde was left alone with her thoughts again. She didn’t know what to make of all the things Stella had just told her, but she barely had time to think any further about it as the door slid open again in the next second.

Matt stood in the doorway, still in his turnout pants with just one suspender over his shoulder while the other hung down his side. He was in his white captain shirt that had dark stains around the collar. His face was covered in smeary spots of sot, and it looked like someone had tried to wipe it away.

It was his eyes though that got to her most. They were stormy and full of fear, and together with the rest of his attire, he looked absolutely wrecked.

He just stood inside the open door, staring at her with wide, panicked eyes for several minutes before he swallowed hard and finally moved to step fully into the room, sliding the door behind him shut. When he limped towards her, Sylvie’s heart stopped.

“Matt, you’re hurt,” she breathed, her eyes widening.

He stopped in front of her bed, pulling a chair towards it before slumping down in it with a wince. “It’s nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Sylvie pleaded with him in a soft voice, her head turning towards him on her pillow. 

The firefighter rubbed his hand carefully over his chest, taking a deep breath. His eyes looked past her towards the wall of the room as he mumbled, “I’ve got a second-degree burn on my neck, a mild case of smoke inhalation, and a couple of bruises, but I never lost consciousness.”

“That’s not nothing!” Sylvie exclaimed, pulling in some air. “You shouldn’t be sitting next to me right now. You need oxygen. Smoke inhalation is a serious thing.”

“No, what I need is for you to be OK,” Matt threw back at her with a rough voice. He clenched his jaw, his hands balling into fists. “You got hurt because I let you into that building. Just like last time.”

“You needed me in there. I knew the risk when I went inside. I was doing my job, Matt,” she answered irritated. She could only guess the last time he was referring to. It must have been the Arnow fire as she hardly ever stepped foot inside a burning building after that again. And neither today nor that fire two years ago were his fault.

“You could have died, Sylvie. And it would have been my fault,” he snapped angrily, his eyes flying to hers for a couple of seconds before he bowed his head. “I could never live with myself if something ever happened to you.”

His voice almost broke towards the end, and Sylvie watched as his face tightened painfully, his lips pressing together.

“We were trapped for several minutes before squad got us out. You were unconscious and bleeding, and I couldn’t get you to wake up,” he continued in a thick voice as he hunched in his seat. “It was one of the most terrifying moments in my life, and I don’t ever want to experience that again. I thought I lost you, Sylvie.”

A silent tear ran down her cheek at his words, and she hastily lifted her hand to wipe it away. The honesty in his words hit her hard, and she felt his pain like her own.

“Matt,” she trailed off, her voice too shaky.

It prompted him to look at her with glistening eyes. He scooted his chair closer to her bed, one of his hands reaching out to take hers. “These last few weeks have been hell, and I know we’re not in a good place right now, but if today taught me anything, it’s that I don’t want to waste any more time.” He brushed his fingers over her knuckles tenderly.

“Matt, I—”

“Please just let me get this out,” he pleaded with her, his eyes never leaving hers. “I know you said that we could never happen again, but I refuse to believe that. I can’t move on from you, and frankly, I don’t want to. I don’t ever want to live in a world without you.”

“But what about Sydney?” Sylvie asked in a small voice.

“There is no Sydney or Gabby. It’s just you. It’s always been you,” Matt professed, lifting her hand to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. “I know we can’t just go back to the way things were, but I want us to work on getting there.”

“You want me?” She could feel her blood rushing through her veins at his words, and her belly fluttered. Could this really be happening?

“I do. I really do want you,” Matt promised her, squeezing her hand gently. “And I know I’m not perfect, but I would try my hardest to be the someone you deserve. I just want you to be happy, and I think we could be happy together.”

Out of all the things Sylvie imagined him to say, it certainly wasn’t this. After weeks of heartbreak and painful longing, he was finally sitting in front of her and telling her exactly what she wanted to hear, and it rendered her speechless.

She might have dreamed about him saying those words, but after their failed attempts she never would have thought to hear him actually say it. He wanted her. Not Sydney, and not Gabby. _Her_.

“You don’t have to say anything right now. I just needed you to know where I stand,” Matt told her, giving her hand a final squeeze before letting go. “I’ll let you rest now. You look tired.”

She was anything but tired. Her head was running a million miles per hour as she tried to process the last few minutes. Matt had gone through so many emotions so fast that she could barely keep track. She made a list in her head to talk to him about several things in the future. The Arnow fire. The accident from today. His ability to blame himself. But first and foremost, his feelings for her.

The paramedic was so lost in thought, she almost missed Matt leaving the room. She hadn’t realized that he had gotten up.

“I wanna be with you too,” she called after him hastily, her voice small and still disbelieving. “But for now, can you please go and let the doctor treat you properly? We can’t talk if you breathe like a walrus.”

Matt chuckled. “Can’t let that happen, I guess.”

Her heart fluttered again, and when he disappeared out of her sight, she sunk back into her pillows. What just happened?


	8. “You’re hurt. Please just let it heal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take this fluffy established Brettsey fluff on this OneChicago-less Wednesday. I hope it ties you over for the week!!

**Prompt #8, “You’re hurt. Please just let it heal.”**

When Matt pushed the front door of the apartment open, he was greeted with a series of giggles that made his heartbeat quicken. A screech filled the room and the thumbing of a pair of little feet echoed through the living space, giving Matt barely enough time to step inside and deposit his keys on the mantle before he was hit with the little ball of energy.

“Matt!” Her shrill voice screamed, and seconds later the little girl flung herself against his legs. His name was one of the few words she could pronounce clearly already.

He chuckled softly at her excitement, bending down, and lifting her into his arms. He ignored the sharp pain that radiated through his back, settling the toddler on his hip.

“Hi, Amy, did you have fun with Sylvie while I was out?” He asked her, bobbing her nose softly.

The blonde girl giggled, scrunching her nose up just like her sister did sometimes. At 20 months, Amelia looked like a mini-Sylvie. Her soft blonde hair was long enough for two little pigtails that stuck out towards the sides of her head, and her blue eyes had just the same color as Sylvie’s. Even her features were similar, and Matt was absolutely enamored with her.

“Vie color,” Amelia told him with wide eyes and a grin on her face. “Elephant.”

“Oh, Sylvie and you colored an elephant? That sounds exciting. I can’t wait to see the picture,” Matt replied as he teasingly tickled the girl’s side.

Amelia squirmed in his arms, her laughter filling the room. Her wild movements made his back ache again, and Matt couldn’t suppress a wince.

“Alright, lovey, why don’t we let Matt take off his jacket first, huh?” Sylvie addressed her sister as she approached the two of them. Her hand landed on the toddler's back, rubbing over it. “Why don’t you go and get the picture, so we can show it to Matt?”

The thought seemed to excite her even more, and when she jumped up and down in his arms, Matt had to stifle a groan. It didn’t escape his girlfriend, and she quickly intervened, pulling Amelia out of his arms, and letting her run free.

With his hands free, Matt quickly slipped his jacket off, hanging it by the door before he turned back to Sylvie.

His girlfriend was leveling him with a pointed look, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She had one of her eyebrows raised and that could only mean one thing.

“What did I do?” Matt asked irritated, wrinkling his brow.

“You really shouldn’t lift her with your back,” Sylvie chastised him in a challenging voice. 

“It’s fine, Sylvie. She’s only here for a couple of days, and I wanna make the most of our time together,” he countered as he stepped closer to her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders.

Scott had a conference in New York for a couple of days, and Sylvie had volunteered to take her sister for that time. Yesterday morning, when they had gotten off shift, Scott had dropped her off, and he would be back to pick her up in just three days. Sylvie had taken tomorrow off to watch her sister, enjoying the prolonged time she had with her. Originally, he hadn’t planned to be there tomorrow, but with his injury, he had somewhat gotten lucky.

“You’re off for three shifts. That’s not nothing,” Sylvie told him in a firm voice, looking at him with pursed lips. “Your back is not going to get better if you keep lifting her.”

“But she loves it.”

His girlfriend let out a sigh that was on the verge of sounding like a groan. Uncrossing her arms, she placed one of her hands on his cheek and the other on his chest. He was momentarily sucked in by her presence, the world around him fading. 

“Matt, you’re hurt. Please just let it heal,” she whispered as her thumb brushed over his cheek. Her big, blue eyes looked at him softly with a mix of concern and deep affection.

He’d be lying if he said he could deny her anything. One look from her, and he was putty in her hands. Matt wasn’t sure if Sylvie knew how much power she had over him. They’d been together for almost five months now, but he was so far gone for her that he’d do about anything for her. Even the dumbest things.

Letting out a quick sigh, he leaned into her hand on his cheek as he let his hands slide down her arms until he could wrap them around her waist. “You worry too much.”

A soft smile spread over her face, and she tilted her chin up towards him. “No, I love you, and I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

Hearing those three little words from her would never get tired. Sometimes he still wondered what he did to deserve her, and it reminded him constantly to never take her for granted. The months they had spent not talking and avoiding each other were pure torture, and he promised himself to never let that happen again.

Leaning forward, he crossed the remaining distance between them and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I love you too, and I promise I’ll be more considerate of my injury.”

“That’s all I’m asking,” she breathed against his lips before placing another chaste kiss against them. His arms tightened around her, pulling her closer to him.

“Back,” Amelia’s voice echoed through the apartment, and seconds later, she crashed into Matt’s legs again. Apparently, she had forgotten to get her elephant drawing as both of her hands grabbed onto his jeans a second later. She looked up to him with a smile on her face as she demanded, “Up!”

The firefighter loosened his grip on his girlfriend, resting one of his hands on top of Amelia’s head. He was about to reach down to her when Sylvie pinched his hip before holding him tightly in place.

“Matt has a boo-boo, Amy. His back is hurting,” the blonde addressed her sister as she crouched down to Amelia’s eye level. “We have to be extra careful with him today. No jumping onto his back, OK?”

Amelia’s grip on his pant leg loosened, and her little brows shot up. “Owie?” She brushed her fingers over his knee. “Kiss better!” Her voice was loud and full of excitement, and Matt’s heart soared at her words.

Sylvie chuckled from her position in front of him, her fingers running over her sister’s arm. “That’s sweet, lovey. I bet it would make Matt feel better.”

Matt watched as Sylvie stood up again with Amelia on her hip. Both of the girls were watching him with soft, blue eyes, looking more identical than ever. The paramedic nodded her chin towards him, and he obediently turned in his spot as a smile formed on his face.

“Owie?” Amelia asked.

“You can’t see Matt’s owie, but it’s right here,” Sylvie explained as her hand gently stroked over the bruise that ran along his spine and the edge of his shoulder blade.

One of their victims had gotten violent with him and pushed him into the edge of a brick wall where his back had hit an old draining pipe. It had momentarily knocked the wind out of him, and Sylvie had made him go to Med afterward. It was just bruised though, nothing had been broken, but Will had still decided to not have him work for a week.

Amelia’s small hand landed next to Sylvie’s, both carefully brushing along the bruise. He closed his eyes at the sensation, realizing that maybe their touches had healing powers after all. When they both pressed a kiss against it a second later, his heart skipped a beat.

He couldn’t really feel their kisses through his sweatshirt, but he still felt the soft pressure of their noses, and it was more than enough. He forgot all about the pain in his back, instead he was filled with more warmth and love for the Brett girls.

He couldn’t imagine his life without either of them. They might only see Amelia every couple of weeks and just facetime her in between, but she was such an essential part of their life that he’d never want to miss her.

Sylvie stepped back around him, her hand wandering over his back and to his hip to remain their contact. She smiled at him softly as she hoisted Amelia up on her hip.

“Better?” Amelia asked, looking at him expectantly.

He nodded at her with a smile on his face that matched Sylvie’s. “Much better. Thank you, Amy.” Leaning forward, he pressed a kiss to her chubby cheek.

The toddler snagged her arms around his neck in the process, clinging to him. It left the three of them in a tangled pile of limbs, and Matt used the opportunity to give his girlfriend a quick kiss.

“You’re wonderful with her,” he whispered against her lips before he pressed another kiss next to her nose and pulled back. “And you said no lifting. Technically, I would just be holding her now.”

His girlfriend let out an exaggerated sigh, rolling her eyes. “Don’t twist my words on me.”

Winking at her, he plugged Amelia from her arms. The little girl came willingly, resting her head against his shoulder. It was just after one in the afternoon, and maybe it was time for her nap.

Matt laid a kiss against the girl’s forehead, suggesting, “What do you think about story time with some cuddles, Amy? I think we could all use a nap.”

“Yes, please,” Amelia immediately agreed, her head lifting from his shoulder. “Vie too.”

Matt chuckled softly. “Yeah, we can take Sylvie with us too. I think we’ve got enough space in the bed for all three of us.”

“Hey, don’t forget this is my apartment,” Sylvie countered, giving him a gentle smack on the arm. “It’s still my bed.”

Adjusting Amelia on his side, Matt laughed as he drew Sylvie into his side. “For three more weeks, then you’ll have to deal with me permanently invading your space.”

“Nah, it has certain benefits. I’ll be alright,” she shrugged with a grin on her face, scrunching her nose up at him. “Now, I think I heard something about a story?”

Shaking his head, Matt moved further into the apartment, pulling Sylvie with him. “I knew I’d be in trouble with you.”

When her laugh echoed through the room, Matt felt a wave of anticipation spread through him. He couldn’t wait to move in with her. They almost spent every free minute of their days together anyway, and it was a logical decision more than anything, but it also held a promise. For now, this one-bedroom apartment was enough for them, but they agreed to look for something bigger. Something that would fit more than just the two of them or even the three of them if they counted Amelia. Something that held enough room for them to grow.

Something that would be completely theirs, and Matt couldn’t wait to start this new adventure with her. They had a full life in front of them, and all those dreams he had pushed away into the darkest corner of his heart were finally being freed again. Nothing seemed impossible with Sylvie, and he knew that as long as he had her by his side, he would be surrounded by constant happiness. And that was more than he ever hoped to get.


	9. "Do you trust me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, Sylvie and Grainger broke up before this conversation happened. Just FYI. I had a couple of paragraphs written for it, but it didn't fit in the way I wanted it to.

The weather had been getting warmer in the last weeks of April, ringing in May with a couple of sunny days. It still got chilly during the night sometimes, but during the day, it was often warm enough to go out without a jacket.

Today wasn’t any different, and Matt closed his eyes for a second as the sun shone onto his face. He was sitting on the porch, facing the street, and waiting. The sun was hot on his face, and he made a mental note to buy some new sunscreen. He always got burnt easily and running around red as a lobster at almost 40 wasn’t as funny as some people made it out to be.

When the roaring of a car sounded up in front of him, Matt opened his eyes again, spotting the silver car that parked behind his truck. Even from his spot on the porch, he could spy her blonde hair through the window of her car.

Seconds later, Sylvie got out, shutting the door softly. She looked towards the house in confusion as she walked around the car and made her way towards him. When she walked through the iron gate, she crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him briefly before letting her gaze swipe over the house in front of her.

She looked beautiful today. She always did, but today, he allowed himself to marvel at her for a moment longer. Her blonde hair was glowing from the bright sun as it encased her face in soft waves. He loved it when she wore it open. Sometimes he even wondered how it would feel between his fingers. It smelt like a mix of vanilla and honey, adding to the special scent that was Sylvie Brett, and he had no doubt in his mind that it would be just as smooth and soft between his fingers.

His eyes got stuck on her red cardigan that reminded him of the soft beige one he had wanted to push off her shoulders all those months ago. She was wearing a white top under it that hugged her curves, and it looked awfully familiar to him too. He still remembered the feeling of the ribbed texture under his fingers from when his hands had traveled over her back. Her light blue jeans and sneakers completed her outfit, and while he had seen her in her casual clothes a million times over the last few years, she looked breathtaking to him today.

“Uhm, what exactly are we doing here?” Sylvie greeted him as she stopped a few feet in front of him, blocking the sun from his eyes. “Is this a residential address? I don’t think I’ve been here before.”

Matt glanced up to her, his lips tugging upwards. “Thank you for coming out here. I know it’s a weird request.” He patted the wooden step of the porch beside him. “Sit with me for a minute?”

Sylvie’s brows shot up, and she mustered him for a second longer before moving to sit down beside him. She left a generous amount of space between them, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Matt.

“Alright, so what’s this place? Is it one of your new projects? I know you’ve said that you wanted to do a couple of construction projects again,” Sylvie questioned him, leaning her back against the railing and turning her body towards him.

They had been talking more over the last few weeks. It started with small, innocent conversations by the coffee pot right at the start of shift, until they formed a new habit of having their first coffee together. It gave him some time every third day to ask her about her day or about Amelia or anything else she had going on in her life. Sometimes, he also used it to tell her something about his own life. How he had visited Mr. Larson and Dusty a couple of weeks back to repair his back porch after the harsh winter had taken its toll on it, or about his family dinner with Christie and Violet. Just a couple of little things.

Other than that, they had rarely hung out alone together. Sure, they had sat together at Molly’s sometimes, but one of their friends had always been present during those times. It seemed like an unspoken rule that Sylvie had laid out between them, and he strictly followed her lead on it.

Today was a bit of a premiere for them, and it made sense that Sylvie was nervous. He was too, but he had thought this over for several weeks now, and he was confident enough to stick to his plan. He had to lay it all out, otherwise, they would never get out of this weird limbo.

Shaking his head, Matt turned in her direction. “No, but I’m starting one next week. It’s a remodel of a basement to create an additional guest room.”

Sylvie’s brows twitched in confusion. “Then what is this?”

Pulling in some air, Matt grabbed the papers that laid next to him on the porch. He averted his eyes onto them, studying them for a second before handing the first over to Sylvie. He caught her eyes as she grabbed it, her eyes holding his for a moment longer until she scanned the piece of paper.

Matt could spot the exact moment her confusion changed into something that resembled hurt and tiredness, two things he didn’t like seeing on her beautiful face. Hopefully, today was going to be the last time he had to see those emotions on her face.

“Matt, why are you showing me this?” She asked him, her lips pressing into a flat line.

“Because it brings us to the root of our miscommunication, and I hope this will make it as clear as possible,” he told her in a calm voice, keeping his eyes on her face.

“I don’t see how your divorce certificate will solve anything.” She lowered the paper onto her knees, staring blankly at it. “It’s just a piece of paper. It doesn’t tell me anything.”

“Maybe it doesn’t, but it shows you my past. It’s nothing I want to change because it shaped me into the person I am now,” he explained, pausing for a moment. “But it’s my past, and while I learned a lot, I wouldn’t want to go back to it.”

The blonde next to him kept her eyes on the paper in front of her, not daring to look up to him. Her forehead was wrinkled, and Matt knew that she was mulling this last sentence over. He realized then that he had still been kind of vague about it, so he handed her the second paper, gently placing it over the divorce certificate.

Silence lingered between them as she studied the document in front of her, her mouth opening in surprise as she read over it.

“You bought a house?” Sylvie asked surprised, looking up to him for the first time since the start of their conversation.

A soft laugh left his lips, and he puffed out some air. “Yeah, I’m a homeowner now. Still feels a bit surreal, to be honest.”

The paramedic opened her mouth to say something, but instead, she shook her head, turning her head towards the house behind them. Her eyes scanned over the front of it, before finding him again.

“This is your house,” the blonde concluded, her eyes widening. “I… I don’t know what to say. Congratulations, Matt. This is huge.”

Matt nodded, chuckling softly. “It is, and it’s going to be a lot of work because the inside doesn’t look half as nice as the outside.” Sylvie’s eyes began to sparkle, and he knew exactly what she wanted. “I’ll give you a tour in a bit. I promise.”

A smile tugged at her lips that turned into a soft laugh as she curiously craned her neck back to look at the house again. Matt took the opportunity to slide closer to her, gently placing his hands onto her propped-up legs in front of her.

It startled her, her eyes flying back to his. They hadn’t been this close in months, and he hadn’t touched her equally as long. When their eyes met, he saw uncertainty and something that almost resembled fear, but she didn’t back away from him.

“This right here represents my future,” Matt told her, pointing to the deed of ownership in her hands. “So much has happened in these past three years, yet I’m still stuck in the same place, and that’s not what I want. I want to move forward with my life.” He took the papers out of Sylvie’s hands and placed them next to her on the porch, before he rubbed his thumb over her knee, her jeans feeling rough under his fingers. “You were right when you called me out on my feelings. Both times actually. I needed to resolve them, and I did.”

Sylvie clammed up in her spot, pressing herself into the railing to put some more space between them. “Matt, I don’t think I can do this again.”

Matt had always been someone to respect boundaries, but not today. He scooted closer until her legs were touching his. Reaching his hand up to her face, he brushed the back of his fingers tenderly over her cheek.

“Do you trust me, Sylvie?” He whispered, looking deeply into her blue eyes. He could get lost in them every minute of every day, even when she looked as scared and unsure as she did now.

It felt like she searched his eyes for several minutes before she nodded faintly, her eyes never leaving his. He dropped his hand from her face, his fingers finding hers instead, tangling them together.

“I talked to Gabby a few weeks back,” he spoke up, rubbing his thumb over the back of Sylvie’s hand as he watched her swallow hard. “It was a long conversation, and it wasn’t pleasant by any means, but it needed to happen. And I’m glad it did because I can say without a doubt in my mind that I don’t want to get back together with her. I knew that before we talked, but this conversation just fortified it. I’m not in love with her anymore.”

“You’re not?” Sylvie breathed shakily.

“I haven’t been for a long time. Not since I started to see you differently, Sylvie,” Matt confessed, lifting her hand to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles, before continuing, “My feelings for you have always been about you, and just you.”

Sylvie pulled her lip between her teeth, chewing on it. “Then why did you hesitate when I asked you about her?”

Matt sucked in some air, chuckling softly. “I think you’re the only one who hasn’t noticed my lack of cool when I’m around you. Being around you messes with my head, and I know it’s not an excuse, but I think every sensible thought left my mind the second you kissed me.”

“I noticed it at Molly’s the night Gallo told us the story of how you jumped out of a moving firetruck for me,” Sylvie admitted, gnawing on her lip a bit firmer. Her eyes averted onto their linked hands that were resting on her knees.

“All this time, I thought you put a stop to us because of my past relationship with Gabby, and it was only when you called me out about Grainger that I finally understood that the relationship was never the problem.”

“Of course, it wasn’t. I would never want you to forget about Gabby. She was a big part of your life. Mine too,” Sylvie insisted, squeezing his hand. “I just… I just needed to know that you wanted me for me, and not because you can’t have her. I don’t think I could take it if she’d come back, and you’d leave me for her. I don’t want to be someone’s second choice, Matt. I don’t want another heartbreak.”

Her words almost broke his heart, and he reached out to cup her cheek, pulling her head closer to his until their foreheads rested against each other.

“I would never do that to you, Sylvie. I’m sorry I ever let you believe you’d be my second choice. It couldn’t be further from the truth,” Matt mumbled, finally allowing his fingers to card through her hair. It did feel soft under his touch, and he took a steadying breath as he searched for her eyes. “I wanna be with you, Sylvie. Just you and no one else.”

Sylvie’s grip on his hand tightened, but the rest of her body relaxed under his words, her eyes closing as she took a couple of short breaths. “I just wanted you to be happy. That’s all I wanted for you the whole time.”

Matt huffed softly. “I am happy with you. And I think we could be happy together if we give this a chance.” He bumped his nose against hers, running it along hers. “I think we danced around this long enough. I’m tired of keeping my distance from you. You think we can change that?”

The blonde opened her eyes again, blue meeting blue. They were a bit watery, but then her lips parted, and she nodded faintly against his forehead. It was all Matt needed to close the distance between them completely, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He kept it chaste, even if he longed for more, but the need to have her in his arms was stronger.

When he drew back, he wrapped his arms around her petite body, pulling her against him until he could bury his head in her neck. With the first breath he took with his face nuzzled into her neck, the last of his own worries and hardships fell off him, and he felt like he could breathe freely for the first time in months.

This was their start, and nobody would take this away from them.


End file.
